Embodiments of the present invention relate to a device for actuating a rotating shaft selected from a plurality of parallel rotating shafts.
Nowadays in the sector of isolating switches for high voltage which comprise an isolating switch and two earthing blades, for the rotation of the contact elements individual and independent drives are generally employed for each one of the elements to be rotated.
Such drives comprise a drive unit and a kinematic arrangement that is adapted to transmit the motion from the drive unit to the main part of the isolating switch or of the earthing blade.
Such conventional drives move, separately and independently, the contacts of the isolating switches, and the earthing blades that are installed upstream and downstream of the contacts of the isolating switches; mechanical means are also present for locking the various drives, as required by the national and international regulations governing isolating switches, which are adapted to prevent movements that are ungoverned, and thus unwanted, of the movable contact elements between an isolating switch and a corresponding earthing blade.
Such conventional drives, although appreciated for their functionality, have a number of drawbacks, the foremost of which is linked to the presence of a drive unit, kinetic mechanisms and locking means for each contact element to be moved, with corresponding proportional costs of manufacture and assembly.
Furthermore each one of the drive units has to be electrically powered separately from the others, with consequent dedicated civil engineering works.
What is more, each drive unit with corresponding kinetic mechanisms and locking means has to be contained in a corresponding protection enclosure.